Seed Bombing My Wildlife Garden

Collecting seeds from native plants in one area of my wildlife garden to spread throughout other areas of the garden.

This year I had an abundance of several species of wood asters growing happily in my front garden. I had the White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata, formerly Aster divaricatus), and the Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium, formerly Aster cordifolius) attracting a huge number of bees from late summer until now on the hillside garden.

White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) is an upright, clump-forming perennial native to North America. It has small, daisy-like white flowers with yellow centers. Its foliage is dark green and has a white coating on the underside of the leaves. It blooms from mid-summer to early fall and prefers moist, well-drained soils in partial shade.

Blue Wood Aster (Eurybia monticola) is another native wildflower that is similar to the White Wood Aster. It has a trailing, clump-forming habit and dark green foliage. Its small, daisy-like blue flowers have yellow centers and bloom from mid-summer to early fall. It prefers moist, well-drained soils in partial shade.

Normally I would have dug several of these up to transplant them in the new wildlife garden out back, but I’ve been battling the invasive Bishops Weed for more than 13 years now in my front garden, and I have no desire to unintentionally spread this noxious pest into my back garden. So there will be no moving of plants from the front to the back.

So instead, I’m taking the next best course….seed bombing my garden.

In addition –

1. Hand pull the plant when it is still small. Wear gloves and pull the weeds out of the ground with the roots intact.
2. Mulch around the area to help prevent further growth.
3. Use a hoe or other tool to cut off the weed’s top growth.
4. Spray a safe herbicide that is designed to target bishops weed.
5. Plant native species in the area to help crowd out the weed and reduce its spread. Seed bomb!